The late Dr. Akre of WSU, a leading expert on yellow
jackets predicted huge population explosions on years with dry, warm springs
and early summers, says Kurt Treftz of Cascade Pest Control. "If Dr. Akre
is correct we may see yellow jackets all over our outdoor eating and other
activities. And we may find a record number of yellow jacket nests on and
around our homes and other locations."
Yellow jackets are a wasp that builds paper 'enveloped'
nests. The populations can reach into the thousands. While some nests may be
situated such that they hang under eaves of homes, other yellow-jacket nests
may locate underground, actually excavating soil. These ground nests can be
agitated when walking or lawn-mowing over them.
Worse yet is when yellow-jackets locate their nest in a
wall void or attic of a home. In such cases their nests of perhaps 4,000 wasps
is only kept out of our living spaces by a half-inch 1/2 inch of sheetrock and
some paint. The trouble is that they will slowly scratch through the sheetrock
and enter the home. "We get calls every year by folks who have to leave
their home, driven out by hundreds of wasps. Or, if they're lucky, some people
call us while they still hear the scratching sounds well before they've burst
into the home."
Some other species nest in bushes and trees, including the
nick-named "bald-faced hornet." "Sadly, I rode my tricycle into
a bush with such a nest as a kid," says Treftz. "I was covered with
stings and traumatized."
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| Treftz holding Dr. Akre’s book, “Yellow Jackets of North America” |
Dr. Akre had predicted the surge in paper wasp populations
in the greater Seattle area in 1979 and other years since. He was the leading
authority, having written 'Yellow Jackets of North America (north of Mexico).'
"His predictions have proven correct a number of
years, including 2003. What remains uncertain is whether a year this dry would
actually impede them," says Treftz. "We have to wait until late July
and into August to know the full impact. But we at Cascade Pest Control have
already had to respond to a number of calls, including a yellow-jacket nest
hanging from wires over an intersection. Traffic had to be halted during the
process."
For more information about yellow jackets or other pests
call Cascade Pest at 1-888-989-8979.
